The Life and Lies of Neville Longbottom
by happysmiles500
Summary: Neville is a lonely boy with not many friends and a very scary grandmother. Discover the amazing Harry Potter series from the perspective of the lovable school hero...Neville Longbottom. J.K Rowling owns all rights and I hope I can do her amazing work justice!
1. Chapter 1 Neville Longbottom

The Life and Lies of….

Neville Longbottom

**CHAPTER 1; **_**Why is it always me?**_

"Why is it always me?!" thought Neville Longbottom to himself as he was hung upside down by his ankles out of the 2nd story window of his grandmother's house. His Uncle was unsuccessfully attempting to force any little bit of magic out of him 'subtly' while his grandmother and aunts looked on anxiously. It was long after the blood had rushed to his head however before his uncle gave in and dropped him rather unceremoniously on the pink-tinged carpet of the living room.

Neville picked himself up rather clumsily and his face went even redder than it had been when he had been hanging upside down out of a window…then he hurried out of the room, past his uncles and aunts and grandmother who were all shaking their heads wearily as they did every time uncle tried a new trick to get magic out of Neville.

His bedroom was the final room at the end of the rather long corridor. It was also the only room which was not some shade of pink. He quickly gulped down some water but could not help but overhear the rather loud whispers being exchanged from the room he had just left…

"…and he's turning 11 next year …"

"…maybe we should ask the people at St Mungos…?"

"…NO…that would only upset the boy to be sent there….then the magic would become completely useless due to the stress of it all…"

"…I say patience, besides, he is sure to have _some_ magic in him somewhere…after all, he is the son of Frank and Alice…"

"…No two greater a wizard and witch if ever I saw one…"

Neville groaned…this conversation had ended up at his parents. Frank and Alice had always been a rather sensitive subject around Neville. They were now both permanent residence of the SPELL DAMAGE level of St Mungos. The Death Eater – Bellatrix Lestrange had done this to them…tortured them to insanity, so that now they hardly even recognise their own son…

_A few months later…_

"I knew he had it in him! I JUST KNEW IT!"

"And to think that all I had needed to do was DROP him from the window! I knew I was being too soft on the boy…"

"…and he bounced all the way down the driveway, yes that is right Marge…BOUNCED!"

"Oh my boy…"

"I will take you straight away to Diagon alley and get you your robes and a cauldron and of course you will need spell books…."

"And be sure to get him a toad Miriam…He can always use the school owls and I am allergic to cats…"

"…but do you want a toad Neville darling...?"

Neville looked up and his already blushing face turned an even deeper crimson…

"No gran…it's ok, a toad is fine…"

"Awww, you darling boy…never complaining!"

Neville stood blushing fiercely in the centre of his relatives. He had just been sent an owl letter announcing his acceptance at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry which would begin the coming September. It had come only an hour after he had been hung out of the window for the fourth time that month and his uncle accepted a cup of tea with the hand he had been holding Neville with. Neville had dropped from two storeys up but when he hit the ground…only bounced and bounced and bounced down the driveway. He had never seen his grandmother so happy in his whole entire life…

Neville was extremely nervous as he re-read the Hogwarts letter for the tenth time since he had got it. He had never had many friends and was not a very bright child. His ears where on the large side and his teeth stuck out at the front. Neville was also very forgetful…so much so that one time he forgot to put pants on when going to the park with his gran, (she had only bothered to point it out to him when he was halfway down the street!) and losing his shoe when it had been on his foot only a minute before…

It certainly did not help that his 'dear' gran was always comparing him to his now insane father who had, in his time, been an extraordinary wizard.


	2. Chapter 2 Toad Trouble

The Life and Lies of….

Neville Longbottom

**CHAPTER 2**_**; Toad Trouble**_

Neville awoke on the morning of September the 1st in a rather good mood…that was before he actually realized that it was September the 1st…

"-and don't forget to put on a different pair of socks every day-send me an owl if you need anything and I will send it down-"

Neville stood among families and children of all types. He clutched his new toad to his chest, hoping it would muffle the sound of his frantically beating heart. He had named his toad Trevor (a name which he had heard on a muggle children's program…)

Neville winced slightly as his grandmother bent down to give him a kiss…the feathers of her hawk hat tickled his face and she left the scent of old roses lingering on his robes. His grandmother then grabbed a fifth year boy by the shirt and ordered him to do a community service by helping Neville get his trunk onto the train. Neville blushed furiously and thought to himself _why does she always act so embarrassing in public…no, it is at home as well I guess!_

Neville tried to prove them wrong by carrying his trunk onto the train himself…but somehow he ended up on the floor with the trunk not moved an inch from where it had been originally…Neville tried to arrange his features so that he looked cool and had done it on purpose but he could feel his face growing gradually hotter around the face from embarrassment. The fifth year boy chuckled and gave Neville a knowing look before taking the trunk and carrying it easily onto the train.

"What a great start" Neville mumbled to himself.

When Neville and his trunk were safely on the Hogwarts Express, he walked along the aisle looking for a spare compartment. He paused outside a compartment full of a group of third year girls who all sniggered and pointed at him. He hurried past that compartment until he found one that was deserted. He sat down and felt his robes for Trevor…TREVOR! At least he thought he had put him in his robes! How could he have been so stupid! _My gran is gonna kill me…_

Neville dived under the seat to look for Trevor just as a girl with bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth walked into the carriage and sat down rather haughtily opposite him. Neville's first thoughts were; _she's beautiful…_but Neville blushed at the thought and continued searching his robes for Trevor. The girl cleared her throat and said (even though it was most obvious)

"Are you looking for something?"

_Of course I'm not…I am just playing around with my robes…_

"Ummm…Yes, I-I have lost my toad…his n-name is T-Trevor…"

"I'll help you look if you like…Oh, and by the way…I'm Hermione Granger…and you are-eee…?"

Neville looked frankly surprised that this girl, Hermione would actually help look for his toad…then he realized that she had asked him a question!

"Yes-s, well I'm errr…Neville, Neville Longbottom…"

"pleased to make your aquaintence Neville, now where did you last see your toad?"

_Neville…it sounded so beautiful when she said it…Neville, Neville, Neville…_

"Well come on then…where was it?!" insisted Hermione stubbornly!

Neville straightened up and smoothed his hair back the way he had seen some fifth year boys do when they were trying to impress a girl…only Neville's version did not have the satisfactory results of the fifth years!

It turns out that Trevor had been in his Robes all the time and Trevor jumped out of an un-searched fold in Neville's robes and briskly jumped out the door, down the aisle and out of sight. Hermione had screamed from shock but quickly re-composed herself. Neville on the other hand had toppled off the seat and hit his head on the low table in the centre of the compartment.

He got up and, blushing, turned to see if Hermione was alright. When he saw that she was fine, he let out a sigh of relief…'_at least one of us is ok…I really should find out more about her…' _Neville thought this dreamily while imagining the day when he would fall to his knees and beg Hermione to marry him!

"Um, Neville…your toad is gone…" whispered Hermione, bursting Neville's bubble of happiness…

TREVOR! Trevor was now loose on the train!

Hermione seemed to read Neville's expression of panic and offered to search the back half of the train while Neville did the front half…yes…a good plan!

Reluctantly, Neville went in the opposite direction of Hermione. He listened as Hermione's voice echoed through the aisle as she poked her head into a compartment.

"Has anybody seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one…"

_Not a handsome boy or a wonderful boy…just a boy…that was all…._

Neville decided to begin searching so that Hermione would not realize he had been watching her. He stuck his head into a compartment…well he thought he did except for the fact that his head collided with the glass door with a loud _WHAP! _

_Dam glass doors…_thought Neville to himself. The Slytherin boys inside the carriage where laughing their heads off…_next carriage!_

When the train finally pulled up at the small magical township of Hogsmead, Neville could not be more thankful. Hermione had stayed in his carriage for most of the ride except when she disappeared to talk to some boys in the rear of the train…apparently one was a Weasley. They were a lovely family who had always been nice to Neville…and the other was apparently Harry Potter. Neville had been extremely jealous when he had heard this because how would Neville get a chance with Hermione if there was someone like Harry Potter in their year…

"Firs years, firs years…this way please!" came a ruff voice from the crowd.

Neville hurried in the direction of the voice…not wanting to be left behind, only to realize that the owner of the voice was about the size of two grown men standing on each other's shoulders (well…not quite)! He stared in awe at this giant of a man while the rest of the first years gathered together.

"You ther…boy!"

Neville shook himself, realizing that the man meant him..

"Ar ya missin a toad, found him in with the baggage I did…"

Neville reached up to take Trevor although the man was leaning down to give the squirming toad to Neville. The other first years where laughing as Neville hurried back to his place in the mob, one especially was in fits of laughter. One he recognised from the description his gran had described to him…one named Draco Malfoy…


	3. Chapter 3 The Sorting

The Life and Lies of Neville Longbottom

Chapter 3

The great wooden doors opened incredibly quickly for such a massive door, revealing a room large enough to fit three of his own homes inside it. He was not the only astounded first year to stare in amazement. Every single one of them was staring in awe at the moving paintings, giant staircases which seemed to go in every direction and another pair of great wooden doors from which chatter could be heard from inside. The floor had a polished look about it and it probably added to the affect that the room looks a lot bigger than it actually appears at first view.

A ghost floated through a wall to their right and a few people shrieked from shock to see this transparent being float through a solid stone wall. More shrieks came as water was suddenly deposited from above onto several startled heads. Everyone looked up to see a little man floating on thin air, sneering gleefully (if that is even possible) at the sufferers of his prank.

"Oooh…ickle firstys…" he taunted, obviously delighted at the new and helpless students below him. All they could do was watch him desperately from below and hoping he had no more buckets of water somewhere up his sleeves.

"Wait till my father hears about this Neville heard someone mutter to his left.

"PEEVES!" came an annoyed and strict shout. A strict looking witch marched around the corner wearing her hair pulled back in a tight bun at the back of her head with a black witch's hat perched on top of it. Her robes had a tartan look about him and she had a slight Scottish accent which Neville decided that he liked. Peeves blew a raspberry and zoomed off up the nearest staircase.

Muttering something about "blasted poltergeists", the witch straightened her hat and faced the first years. Her mouth was thin and everyone could tell straight away that she was not one to mess with. Her stern but somewhat gentle eyes were searching the faces of them, silently telling them that they will all behave and abide by all rules. Neville wished that he could silently communicate with people, and then maybe he would be better at schoolwork and friend making. He was not exactly sure how this logic would work but then, hey, anything can happen at Hogwarts … right?

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourself up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a minute on Neville's cloak which was loose and crinkled from the constant searching of Trevor on the train. He nervously tried to straighten it, though failing miserably.

The great hall doors opened surprisingly easily for doors of the size and weight. Behind the doors, there was the clattering and chattering of hundreds of students, seated at four long tables. Professor McGonagall had told them before that there were four houses, Gryffindor, Huffelpuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Neville personally wanted to be in Gryffindor because that was the house his parents had been in. At least he thought it was Gryffindor!

All the heads of the hundreds of students turned to watch as the small, frightened first years made their way down the centre aisle, some sneering at the frightened faces, some giving encouraging smiles and others just watching with curiosity or no interest whatsoever.

"It is not really the night sky you know, it is just enchanted to look like it. I read about it in 'Hogwarts, A History'" came Hermione's voice to the right of Neville. Glancing at the roof, he saw where there should have been a roof, was a night sky filled with floating candles. How had he missed this when he walked into the room? He had probably been too preoccupied with the hundreds of faces staring at him.

"I love magic!" whispered Neville. A boy called Seamus Finnigan who was standing beside Neville gave a little snort of laughter at the comment.

Neville suddenly became very preoccupied with his shoes.

The slowly moving line of students came to an abrupt halt when they came to the front of the hall. As Neville was watching the ground, he bumped into a girl with long hair who was standing in front of him, causing the students all around to stumble slightly.

Neville's eyes were now fixed on the object sitting on a small wooden stool on the platform. It was a hat, rather ragged around the corners but a hat all the same. He glanced around and saw that all eyes in the hall were now fixed on the hat. His head was just turning back to the front when the hat broke into song.

'_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see, _

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chilvary_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of Toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've got a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means,_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Everyone in the hall burst into the wildest applause that Neville had ever heard. All the first years were staring wild eyed at the hat which was now, once again sitting still on the stool, waiting to be put on.

Names of students began to be called and many people scuttled up to the stool, though Neville did not process any names or houses. His knees began to knock and he was dreading the moment when his name would be called.

"Neville Longbottom!"

Neville walked as fast as his legs would carry him to the stool, picked up the hat and briskly placing it on his head. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut so as not to see the many faces peering up at him.

The sorting hat suddenly began talking, as if in his ear which made Neville feel as if it could see inside his head…

'A Longbottom now… nervous are you? Ha! Loyal, most certainly, and a passion to prove yourself to everyone?! Mmmmmmmm, interesting. Well then…better be… GRYFFINDOR!"

Neville could not believe it! He ran down the steps towards the Gryffindor table, stumbling over his robes as he went. Everyone began laughing at him. He could not work out why until he realised that the Sorting Hat was still perched on his head, grumbling slightly. Neville took it off and jogged back up to the stool where a girl was waiting to put it on. He ran as fast as he could back to the table and sat down, too embarrassed to look at his fellow house members.

Neville vowed that he would write to his gran the moment he found out where he was sleeping, although…knowing him, he would probably forget!


	4. Chapter 4 The Common Room

The Life and Lies of Neville Longbottom

**Chapter 4**

Soon, Harry Potter's name was called and the great hall erupted into whispers. Neville could only imagine what Harry might be feeling if Neville had been that nervous, without everybody knowing who he was! His grandmother had of course told him the story of Harry Potter and He Who Must Not Be Named, everyone knows the story. Neville was nearly exactly the same age as Harry Potter according to his gran, maybe they could be friends…

The sorting hat spent a long time in silence, mumbling to itself on the top of Harry's head until it finally roared out… "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry stumbled down to the waiting Gryffindors, some of who were chanting…'We got Potter!' over and over again. Harry sat down on the bench near Neville and gave him a shaky smile which Neville tried to return but failed, managing to knock over a goblet with his right hand and grimacing when a ghost glided through him. It was the oddest feeling Neville had ever felt and he was glad when Harry's attention was focused to the front so that he would not see the furious blush which was caught creeping up on Neville's face. It seemed to be a day for blushing…

The sorting finished soon after a few more students where sorted into the four houses, Professor McGonagall put away the stool and hat and sat down at the staff table which Neville had hardly noticed until now. There was a woman with fly-about grey hair and warm eyes, who seemed to be covered in earth…Professor Sprout. Then there was a witch with dark robes…Professor Sinistra. A tiny man who was seated on a pile of cushions to see over the table….Professor Flitwick, a strange looking man with a purple turban whom Neville did not know and a scary looking man with a hooked nose and a curtain of greasy, black hair. Neville shivered as his black eyes fixed on his own and broke the gaze as soon as he could manage.

Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore stood up and spoke a few strange words to all the students and told them to enjoy the marvellous feast! Neville had not realized how hungry he was! Suddenly, all the golden dishes in the centre of the tables filled with food. The older students started laughing and chatting while helping themselves to the potatoes and roasts and sauces and salads and casseroles and pies and every other good thing you could imagine.

Neville looked along the line of dishes thoughtfully before deciding on some chicken and salad with creamy potatoes. The chicken was so good that he ate more helpings of it, then helping himself to some fabulous Caesar salad which tasted almost as good as the chicken in it's own way!

'…me dads' a muggle, maams' a witch….nasty shock for him when he found out!' came the voice of a boy near Neville by the name of Seamus Finnigan.

Another point of Neville's interest was the pearly, semi-transparent ghost which was in conversation with Harry Potter and his friend Ron. Hermione was conversing with Ron's older brother and prefect called Percy.

Dessert was every bit as excellent as dinner and Neville soon had that satisfying feeling in his stomach with the feeling of fullness, mingling with drowsiness. The golden platters, now empty of food, magically got wiped clean and shining again in a matter of seconds.

Dumbledore once again stood up and addressed the school who were all feeling along the same lines as Neville. The only part of the speech that Neville registered was the warning about a third floor corridor which was forbidden to everyone who 'did not want to die a slow and painful death.'

The next thing that Neville knew, he was following Percy Weasly (the Gryffindor prefect) up many staircases to the dormitories and common room. Neville's leg suddenly crashed through one of the stairs very painfully, wedging itself in-between the stair above and the one below, waking him up with an almost immediate effect. Percy scolded him for not listening when he was explaining about the trick stairs while some people who Neville did not know lifted him out from under the armpits. Incredibly embarrassed by his wrong step (literally) he listened a little more closely to Percy.

His first impression of the Gryffindor common room was that it was very comfortable looking, with armchairs, low tables, an assortment of banners and a big, roaring fireplace. Of course, that opinion never changed throughout his 7 years at Hogwarts.

Neville was shown up to his dorm which he shared with four other boys; Harry Potter, Ron Weasly, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. They were all very tired from the excitement of the day and flopped into the four-poster beds, having found all their belongings had been bought up by someone. Neville wondered who had bought them up.

With thoughts of magic and the next day swirling around Neville's head, he fell into a deep dream-filled sleep.


End file.
